After all, Magic Capital Martial University revered the strong!
Having made up his mind, Qin Yan suppressed his urge to break through at once and drew his attention away from the thread of qi inside him.
He returned to his second-floor bedroom to rest and build up his strength for the next day's training.
The next day, at four thirty in the morning.
Qin Yan's internal clock woke him right on time.
After a quick wash, he changed into clean training clothes and went straight to the third-floor Martial Dao room.
He drew a deep breath of the cool morning air and began his routine Spear Technique training.
Two hours of high-intensity practice, without fail.
By the time he finished, daylight had filled the sky.
He went back to the first floor, took a quick shower, and changed into his Magic Capital Martial University uniform.
Then he left the estate and headed to a regular counter on the cafeteria's first floor for a free but balanced breakfast.
Today was his first official day of theory classes at Magic Capital Martial University.
According to his schedule, today's class was Basic Theory of Martial Artists.
After eating, Qin Yan went to the Sixth Academy.
Following the directions on his Smart Bracelet, he soon found Class 3's classroom.
The students in this class were all freshmen assigned to the Sixth Academy who had yet to become Martial Artists.
Qin Yan walked in and looked around. Quite a few people had already arrived.
He chose a seat near the middle of the front row.
He checked the time. It was almost eight.
The classroom's fifty seats gradually filled. Some students chatted quietly.
Others studied on their own. The room held the reserve of new students and their anticipation of new knowledge.
At exactly eight, the class bell rang.
An elderly man in a plain gray instructor's robe entered with steady steps. His hair was white, and his face was kindly.
The blood qi around him was far from strong. It even seemed a little faint.
But his eyes shone with wisdom earned through the years, as though they held a wealth of knowledge and experience.
"Good morning, everyone."
The old professor stood behind the lectern. His voice was gentle, yet it carried a calm that settled the room.
"I'm Wang Qi, and I'll be teaching your Basic Theory of Martial Artists course this semester.
Today is our first lecture.
We'll study, step by step, how an aspiring Martial Artist can break through safely and efficiently
and become a true First-Rank Martial Artist..."
The old professor began to explain, moving from the nature of blood qi to the principles behind the birth of "qi."
Then came the subtle differences between Body Tempering Martial Arts in drawing in, condensing, and refining qi, along with the risks that might arise during a breakthrough and how to handle them...
He made difficult ideas easy to grasp and presented them in a clear order.
He could often explain the most complex principles in the simplest language.
Qin Yan sat below, listening with complete focus.
Although Instructor Xiao Huo had already explained many of the key points to him, Professor Wang's lessons were more systematic and comprehensive.
They filled in details, common knowledge, and little-known precautions that Instructor Xiao Huo had never mentioned.
Everyone had their own specialty, after all.
Professor Wang Qi's lecture gave him a fuller, deeper understanding of the entire breakthrough process.
For instance, he now knew for certain that what he had condensed inside his body was indeed the standard "thread" of qi.
He also learned the precise measures for each Martial Artist rank: a new First-Rank Martial Artist had one thread of qi, a new Second Grade Martial Artist had one strand, and a new Third-Rank Martial Artist had one stream.
One stream equaled ten strands, and one strand equaled ten threads.
Each stage built on the last. It was perfectly clear.
The ninety-minute class flew by as Qin Yan listened with rapt attention.
When the dismissal bell rang, he still wanted to hear more. He felt he had learned a great deal.
With the lesson over, the students filed out of the classroom.
Qin Yan followed the crowd out of the Sixth Academy's teaching area.
That was his only class today.
After all, what mattered most in Martial Dao was training, not studying.
There was only so much theory to learn.
Magic Capital Martial University's schedule fully reflected its principle of "training first, theory second."
Of the seven days in a week, only four had theory classes.
And each of those days had one or two classes at most, leaving students plenty of time to train on their own.
They could skip class if they wanted, provided they passed the assessment.
If they failed, each course would cost them 100 Credit Points!
One hundred Credit Points were worth one million Huaxia Coins!
Passing, on the other hand, earned them 20 Credit Points.
So hardly anyone missed class.
They could learn something and earn Credit Points at the same time.
What was not to like?
Back at Estate No. 111, Qin Yan wasted no time and went straight into training.
After two hours, he went to the cafeteria for a meal, then took a half-hour nap.
He trained for another two hours that afternoon.
To his delight, his endurance had clearly improved today.
After finishing his usual training, he managed to keep going for another half hour.
Was it because I've already condensed a thread of qi inside me?
He made a guess.
Qi, it seemed, could do more than temper the body. It could also nourish and support the flesh itself.
After completing his planned training, he did not rest right away.
Remembering the new assignment Instructor Xiao Huo had sent that morning, he spoke to his bracelet. "Xiao Shu, open the Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spiritual Herbs."
Today, Instructor Xiao Huo had sent him a file.
He had told Qin Yan to understand every last word about the First-Rank Spiritual Herbs listed in it and grasp it all thoroughly.
"Command confirmed."
A vast, intricate screen of light unfolded in an instant.
Detailed illustrations and descriptions of countless plants in every shape and color appeared before Qin Yan.
Beside them was a flood of information on their medicinal properties, effects, growing environments, harvesting and preparation methods, and common incompatibilities when combined with other herbs.
[Crimson Blood Fruit: a First-Rank Spiritual Herb that usually grows where Solar Yang energy is abundant.
Effects: replenishes blood qi and strengthens muscles and bones. One of the main ingredients used to make Blood Qi Pills...]
[Moonlight Grass: a First-Rank Spiritual Herb that favors shade and often absorbs spiritual energy beneath the moonlight.
Effects: calms the mind, soothes the spirit, and nourishes mental strength. Can help with entering meditation...]
[Iron Bone Vine: a First-Rank Spiritual Herb, tough as iron...]
[Earthfire Ganoderma: a First-Rank Spiritual Herb, crimson from end to end...]
Just skimming this small section made Qin Yan's eyes swim.
The world of Spirit Medicine was vast and profound, no less so than Martial Dao.
Instructor Xiao Huo expected him to understand, memorize, and fully assimilate all the knowledge about First-Rank Spiritual Herbs recorded here.
Qin Yan settled in and began reading and memorizing it word by word.
An hour later, he rubbed his aching temples and stopped.
He had come to understand some of the herbs' effects.
He had also learned that Spirit Medicine had ranks.
There were nine ranks in all, with the first the lowest and the ninth the highest.
The Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spiritual Herbs before him covered Low-Grade Spiritual Herbs from the first through the third rank.
What gave him a headache, though, was how long he had been reading.
And he had covered less than one-thousandth of the book.